Rotating swing



March 31, 1964 w. D. GUIHAN 3,127,169

ROTATING SWING Filed Feb. 7. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVE1.VTOR. Mum/v D GUM/AN ATTO/Z/VEXS United States Patent 3,127,169 ROTATING SWING William D. Guihan, 3575 N. Patritti Ave., Baldwin Park, Calif. Filed Feb. 7, 1961, Ser. No. 87,619 10 Claims. (Cl. 272-33) This invention relates to rotating swings and included in the objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a rotating swing which is essentially a hollow cylinder mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis at or near its center and having opposed seats so arranged that one or two occupants may turn with the swing about its axis of rotation.

Second, to provide a rotating swing which may be used with safety by young and inexperienced children in that the occupants are seated relatively close to the center of rotation, handle bars are so located as to be grasped instinctively should the occupants become frightened, the occupants are enclosed so that they cannot fall out of the swing, and the swing supports are so arranged with respect to the side enclosure of the swing that the supports are essentially out of reach of the occupants.

Third, to provide a rotating swing which is so arranged that its occcupants may oscillate the swing through increasing arcs until the swing is caused to make a complete revolution and may then be manipulated by the occupants to maintain rotation of the swing.

Fourth, to provide a rotating swing which may be so arranged as to be motor driven.

Fifth, to provide a swing structure which includes a rotating swing unit and a pair of supporting members for the swing unit which in turn have an axis of oscillation outside the swing unit, so that the swing unit not only rotates and oscillates about its own axis but also about the oscillation axis of the support members.

With the above and other objects in view as may appear hereinafter, reference is directed to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a partial side view, partial sectional view showing one form of the rotating swing taken through 11 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 2 is a partial plan view, partial sectional view thereof taken through 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional view thereof taken through 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a reduced side elevational view showing a modified form of rotating swing which is motor driven.

FIGURE 5 is an elevational view of a further modified form of rotating swing in which the rotating structure is, in turn, supported by a swing structure.

FIGURE 6 is a view thereof taken through 6-6 of FIGURE 5.

Reference is first directed to the construction shown in FIGURES l, 2 and 3. The rotating swing here illustrated includes a cylindrical shell 1 in the axial ends of which are fitted end rings 2. A diametrically extending strut 3 bridges across each end ring. As will be brought out hereinafter, the two struts normally occupy a vertical position. The end rings are provided at opposite sides of the normally lower ends of the struts 3 with radially inwardly directed, semicircular extensions which form seat side walls 4.

Between each pair of axially opposed side walls 4 is a seat structure including a horizontal seat member 5 and vertical wall member 6. The normally lower side of the cylindrical shell between the wall member 6 is provided with a floor 7.

The two struts 3 are provided with horizontally aligned bearing members 8. In the construction shown in FIGURE 1, the bearing members are located a short distance X above center. In practice, it has been found 3,127,169 Patented Mar. 31, 1964 'ice feasible to utilize a cylindrical shell of about three to four feet in diameter, and to displace the bearing members a distance X between one and one-half and two inches.

The bearing members 8 journal a horizontal shaft 9, the extremities of which are held in fittings 16). In the construction shown in FIGURES 1 through 3, each fitting 19 is secured to the apex of a pair of downwardly diverging struts 11. The lower ends of each pair of struts are secured to a base member 12.

A hand bar 13 extends between the diametrical struts 3 above the shaft 9. If desired, each of the seats may be provided with seat straps 14 as indicated in FIGURE 2. However, because of the relatively small size of the rotating swing, the maximum distance of fall is sufficiently small that danger of injury is remote. The primary purpose of the seat straps is to develop self-confidence in the more timid child.

Operation of the rotatable swing as shown in FIGURES 1 through 3 is as follows:

One or two children seat themselves on the seat members 5. By reason of the off-center position of the shaft 9 and the fact that the weight of the occupants place the center of gravity below the shaft 9, the occupants, by grasping the hand bar 13 and rocking or shifting their weights may cause the rotatable swing to oscillate with increasing amplitude until it is caused to make a complete revolution. Thereafter, with a little practice, the occupants may cause the swing to continue to rotate.

Reference is now directed to FIGURES 5 and 6. The rotating swing per se is the same as in the previously described structure. In place of the supporting struts 11 and base members 12, the fittings 10 are joined to suspension members 15 which may be in the form of ropes, cables or bars. If suspension bars are used, they are joined at their upper ends by flexible connections 16 to a cross-bar 17.

By so suspending the rotating swing, the swing may be caused to rotate about the shaft 9 and simultaneously oscillate about the axis of the cross-bar 17.

Reference is now directed to FIGURE 4. The struc ture here illustrated also utilizes the rotating elements of the swing. In this construction, the collars are substituted for the bearings 8 and secured to the shaft 9 so that the shaft may rotate the structure. The ends of the shaft 9 are supported in posts 18, one of which encloses a drive means 19. The posts extend upwardly from a base structure 20 which houses a drive motor 21 which may cause the swing to oscillate or rotate as desired.

It will be observed that the rotating elements of the swing are in each embodiment so arranged that the occupants are well protected by the end rings 2, by the struts 3 and by the side walls 4. Also, the shaft 9 and the hand bar 13 provide ample means which may be grasped by the occupants.

Also, in each of the arrangements illustrated, the shaft 9 projects a sufficient distance beyond the rotating structure so as to provide not only ample space for ingress and egress, but also to render it difficult for the occupants to thrust their hands or feet into engagement with the supporting structure when the swing is in operation.

While particular embodiments of this invention has been shown and described, it is not intended to limit the same to the exact details of the construction set forth, but it embraces such changes, modifications, and equivalents of the parts and their formation and arrangement as come within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A rotatable swing, comprising: a cylindrical shell having end rings partially closing the axial ends thereof and struts extending from said end rings to the central axis of said shell and defining with said end rings restricted ingress and egress openings; means utilizing said struts for supporting said shell in the vicinity of its central axis for rotation thereabout; and at least one seat fixed in said shell and disposed radially outward from said central axis whereby an occupant may rotate in said seat about said supporting means.

2. A rotatable swing as set forth in claim 1, wherein said supporting means includes a supporting axle extending axially beyond said cylindrical structure; and a fixed frame structure supporting the ends of said axle.

3. A rotatable swing as set forth in claim 1, wherein said supporting means includes a supporting axle extending axially beyond said cylindrical structure; a fixed frame structure supporting the ends of said axle; and a motor drive in said frame structure is connected with said axle.

4. A rotatable swing as set forth in claim 1, wherein said supporting means includes a supporting axle extending axially beyond said cylindrical structure; suspension members supporting the extremities of said axle; and means oscillatably supporting the upper ends of said suspension members.

5. A rotatable swing, comprising: a cylindrical shell having end rings partially closing the axial ends thereof and struts extending from said end rings to the central axis of said shell; means utilizing said struts for supporting said shell in the vicinity of its central axis for rotation thereabout; a pair of opposed seats within said shell on opposite sides of said struts; end walls for said seats extending radially inward from said end rings, said end rings, end walls, and struts defining pairs of restricted ingress and egress openings, and also forming means tending to contain the occupants within said shell during rotation thereof; and at least one hand bar carried by said struts in reach of occupants of said seats.

6. A rotatable swing as set forth in claim 5, wherein the axis of said supporting means is offset from the central axis of said shell in a direction opposite from said seats whereby said seats tend to rotate said shell to 4 a position wherein said seats are below the level of said supporting means, and said hand bar is above said supporting means.

7. A rotatable swing as set forth in claim 5, wherein said supporting means includes a supporting axle extending axially beyond said cylindrical structure; and a fixed frame structure supporting the ends of said axle.

8. A rotatable swing as set forth in claim 5, wherein said supporting means includes a supporting axle extending axially beyond said cylindrical structure; a fixed frame structure supporting the ends of said axle; and a motor drive in said frame structure is connected with said axle.

9. A rotatable swing as set forth in claim 5, wherein said supporting means includes a supporting axle extending axially beyond said cylindrical structure; suspension members supporting the extremities of said axle; and means oscillatably supporting the upper ends of said suspension members.

10. A rotatable swing, comprising: a cylindrical shell having end walls partially closing the axial ends thereof and struts extending from said end walls to the central axis of said shell and defining with said end walls restricted ingress and egress openings; means utilizing said structs for supporting said shell in the vicinity of its central axis for rotation thereabout; and at least one seat fixed in said shell and disposed radially outward from said central axis whereby an occupant may rotate in said seat about said supporting means.

Eyerly Sept. 14, 1954 OTHER REFERENCES Playthings Magazine, January 160, page 125. 

10. A ROTATABLE SWING, COMPRISING: A CYLINDRICAL SHELL HAVING END WALLS PARTIALLY CLOSING THE AXIAL ENDS THEREOF AND STRUTS EXTENDING FROM SAID END WALLS TO THE CENTRAL AXIS OF SAID SHELL AND DEFINING WITH SAID END WALLS RESTRICTED INGRESS AND EGRESS OPENINGS; MEANS UTILIZING SAID STRUCTS FOR SUPPORTING SAID SHELL IN THE VICINITY OF ITS CENTRAL AXIS FOR ROTATION THEREABOUT; AND AT LEAST ONE SEAT FIXED IN SAID SHELL AND DISPOSED RADIALLY OUTWARD FROM SAID CENTRAL AXIS WHEREBY AN OCCUPANT MAY ROTATE IN SAID SEAT ABOUT SAID SUPPORTING MEANS. 